Stuck With You
by LittleRedOne
Summary: She had to remind herself several times within the past hour that she was doing this to punish him - not herself. -- Ginny/OC. Harper's not technically an OC since he is mentioned in passing in the books, but not mentioned enough to count. Oneshot.


**A/N: **Long ago I challenged myself to write Ginny, who is easily one of my favorite characters, in as many pairings as I could make work. I've done a number of them already, but this is one that has been sitting almost finished on my computer for over a year and I thought it was time I completed it. I know it seems like an original character pairing, but I assure you Harper is a character from the books, though he's mentioned very briefly in a way of no real significance. It just happened that I'd used him as a background character who had a small interaction with Ginny in another fic (Nightly Encounters - which is my one and only try at femmeslash) and that triggered this idea. For information on Harper you can go to my end Author's Note or the (wonderful) Harry Potter Lexicon. So, if you read this, I hope you enjoy my kind of crazy idea.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that you recognize from the Harry Potter series.

* * *

The end of year came fast - bringing exams with it - and the library was almost always packed with students as they frantically flipped through textbooks and pages of notes. Ginny found it next to impossible to find an open seat anywhere as she stalked through the tables. She didn't find an empty chair until she reached the back of the library and she certainly did not want to sit in it. Three Slytherins in her year, Vaisey, Harper and Atkins, already occupied the other three chairs and they were not a group she longed to join. Unfortunately, she had to get her studying done and it was the only open spot she saw. Steeling her resolve, she stalked toward the table.

"What do you think you're doing?" Atkins asked the second she pulled out the empty chair across from him.

"Studying," she answered sitting down. Harper, who was the unlucky occupant of the chair beside her glared at her before sliding farther away in his chair - as if just being within a foot of her was torturous.

"Not with us," Atkins told her in what she was sure was supposed to be a threatening way.

"I'll study by myself thank you," she said giving him a wide, fake smile. "However, I will be studying at this table. It's the only open seat."

"Just because it's open doesn't mean you're welcome in it," Vaisey spoke up nastily.

"You don't own this chair Vaisey. You don't own this library. It's the school's and I'm sure the school will allow me here," she replied sweetly.

"We don't want you here; we don't want you near us even," Harper finally added his input.

"And I want to be near three Slytherin gits? You'll have to deal with it like I am."

"I think I can deal with it," Harper said before abruptly grabbing both her bag and arm and dragging her away from the table.

Behind her she heard his friends laughing as she fought in vain to get her arm free; he had too strong of a hold on her. He refused to loosen his grip on her until they were outside of the library where she promptly turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that Harper."

This time she grabbed at his arm and, with what he found was a surprising amount of strength, _she _dragged _him _away up a nearby staircase. He didn't even bother to fight for the freedom of his arm as he was far too interested in what she would do to care. He knew the girl had spunk and he wanted to see what she could come up with. Two more floors and a few corridors later she stopped in front of a blank expanse of wall. With a firm grip on his arm still, she paced them back and forth in front of the wall until a door emerged. He wasn't that surprised by the door, he had heard the tale of the Room of Requirement and figured this must be it. He quickly made a mental note to remember this corridor for later use before she tugged inside.

If he wasn't surprised before, he certainly was now. The room was made up very similar to a common room; there were fireplaces surrounded by couches, along with tables, chairs and a large bookshelf stocked full of what looked to be their course books. Every thing was a neutral color - not one inch of the room showed a favor to his house or hers.

"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously turning in time to see her putting her wand away.

"We're going to spend some time together Harper," she smiled sweetly up at him.

"No we bloody well aren't!"

"Seeing as I'm the only one who can make that door reappear, I think we are." His head whipped to where the door had just been so fast that she was surprised he didn't hurt himself. In a flash he pulled his wand and tried various spells to bring back the door, failing each time. He turned on her, looking every bit as threatening as she was sure he intended. Despite his appearance she knew he wouldn't actually to anything terrible to her so she felt and showed no fear.

"Let me out of here," he growled.

"Oh come now Harper, it's not going to hurt you to spend a bit of time with me," she said in a mocking tone, loving the control she has in the situation. "You've only got to spend two hours in here with me and you'll be free to go."

"How is this a fair punishment? I just wanted you out of _my _study space."

"Well you went about it the wrong way," she responded simply before changing the subject. "Do you want help with your studying? I do believe my grades are higher than yours."

"Your only doing better than me in charms," he sneered. "And where I lack in charms I make up in potions, which happens to be your weakness."

"We should work together then. My strength is your weakness and vice-versa. And as for the rest of classes we're pretty equal. We really would make a perfect study duo," she mused.

"Why would I want to work with you?"

"Because you've got to sit near me anyway and I can really be of help to you."

"Or I could sit on the other side of the room," he suggested.

"No, you can't," she said with, what sounded to him like, an odd laugh.

"And just how do you plan to prevent that?"

"It's already been prevented," she smirked.

"Whatever you say Weasley," he rolled his eyes. He turned and stalked to the other side of the room purposefully. Once he reached the table he sat, only to look up and find her standing within a short distance of him. "What now?"

"I told you that you can't sit on the other side of the room from me," she said with a grin he was sure he didn't like.

"Well I could have if you didn't feel the need to follow me."

"I didn't have a choice."

"Alright what are you on about?" he asked suspiciously after seeing the same grin widen on her face.

"To put it simply…you're _stuck _with me."

"We've already established that genius," he snapped, growing uncomfortable with her devilish grin.

"Ah, but I mean in a literal sense." These words caused panic in him.

"What do you mean by literal?" he asked in too calm of a voice to be good. She ignored it however.

"I'll show you. You may want to stand up though." He stood slowly, not sure what to expect really. She took a few steps away from him and he was appalled to find himself following her. He desperately tried to stop himself, his mind screaming at his legs to stop moving, but he couldn't.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO?" he roared at her. If he took a moment to look past his anger he'd have realized he really was quite impressed with her. As it was, he was too caught up in the misfortune of her scheming mind to notice her genius.

"I told you, you're spending time with me you git," she huffed. "There's no need to yell."

"I'm _stuck_ to you and you don't think I have reason to yell!" He hollered only slightly quieter than before.

"Two hours Harper and you can go free," she shrugged simply. "Now are we going to work together or not? I know you can't handle the Charms work on your own."

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Two hours and I'm out that door and I want you no where near me again."

"Lovely!" she said, dragging him with her back to the table holding her bag and getting straight to work.

* * *

"Can I go yet?"

"Harper!" she snapped in frustration, laying her quill down on the table in an effort not to break it. "When are you going to get it through your head? _Two hours_! _Not _fifteen minutes, _not _half an hour, _not _forty-five minutes and _not_ one hour!" She had to remind herself several times within the past hour that she was doing this to punish him. It seemed like it was her own personal punishment though with all of his constant complaints.

"Well how am I supposed to know that's all that passed? It seems like it's been the whole bloody day already."

"Maybe if you'd stop sulking and actually try to get some work done you'll find the last hour will pass quickly."

"Not bloody likely."

For the past hour Harper had been pissing and moaning about being locked in a room with her when he should be in the library studying with his friends. She'd tried to explain to him that he was more than capable of studying here, but he was having none of that. So far he'd managed to levitate his quill in a parade around the room and transfigure the extra chairs into random trinkets and back. He was making it difficult for her to concentrate and getting on her last nerve.

"You know, I'd say I've been pretty nice to you this past hour Harper, well as nice as a Gryffindor gets when talking to a Slytherin. Maybe if you cooperate with me this won't even seem like a punishment."

"Maybe if you took this spell off it _wouldn't be_ a punishment."

"We've already discussed this Harper. It isn't happening."

"How the hell am I supposed to last another hour?"

"STUDY!" she shouted in frustration, picking her quill back up and returning to her work.

* * *

Harper had finally caved into actually getting his work done shortly after the first hour was up. He finally relented to the fact that it's what he would have been doing if he weren't in there anyway. That brought them to where they were now. The two hour spell wore off an hour and a half ago and both students were still working hard and holding small, relatively civil, conversations in the Room of Requirements. Neither realized the time that had gone by or that their friends currently would be looking for them for dinner.

"I still can't believe you'd go out with that Michael Corner git," he shook his head. "Us Slytherins don't mind alot of the Ravenclaws, but we don't even like him much."

"Oh please. He was a perfectly fine first boyfriend," she defended. Somehow the conversation that had started off strictly concerning their studies had turned to more personal matters. "He only turned git at the end."

"You could have picked _anyone _as a nicer first boyfriend."

"Like who?" she laughed. "Slytherins would make ridiculously _awful_ boyfriends. My brother's friends are only _just _getting over looking at me like "Ron's little sister" now that I'm "developing". And Hufflepuffs, well, they're just _too_ nice. Well," she added thoughtfully, "except Zacharias. I can't actually stand him. For the rest of them, though, that holds true."

"Too nice isn't exactly how I'd describe them," Harper laughed.

"And therein lies the difference in us. I'm polite. You're rude," Ginny teased.

"Minor differences," he dismissed her insult with a smirk and a wave of the hand. "Now, your brother's friends are just idiots. They like to keep with familiar company."

"Are you calling my brother an idiot?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I believe so."

"Oh…well, I can't get mad really. He kind of is sometimes," she shrugged.

"At least you know that," he nodded. "Hey, what's the wand movement for that new spell in Charms again?" She showed him some fancy wand work and he nodded again. "I knew I had something wrong! This class is ridiculous! I can't wait until I don't _have _to take it anymore."

"It's not that bad," she told him. "Besides, you already know a lot of charms, you just need to concentrate on learning the ones you need for class. You need to get a good tutor who can teach you what you need."

"I doubt anyone can make me like Charms, Weasley. They're awful."

"No, Charms are fun. Now Potions on the other hand is horrid! And it was only worse when Snape was teaching it. He's such a git."

"Only to you Gryffindors," Harper chuckled. "It's a handy skill to know."

"Don't I know it," she groaned. "I have to work my arse off this year on my O.W.L.s just to at least make good enough grades to continue taking it."

"Why would you continue taking it if you hate it so much?" He asked making a face, thinking what it would be like to have to put up with another year of Charms.

"Ron made it in to 6th year potions, how I'm still not sure, but he did, along with every other brother. I can't be the only one who doesn't take it," she answered as if it were obvious.

"Who cares if all your brothers took it?"

"I care!" she cried. "I can't let _Ron_ do better than me!"

"So you're going to take a class you hate? Real logical," he said sarcastically.

"You don't understand," she said in frustration.

"Oh? Then please enlighten me."

She shook her head, trying to find some way to explain why it was so important to her that she stuck to potions. "My brothers - they're all smart. I don't want to pale in comparison. I want to be able to make the same accomplishments they have. If it takes potions to do that then it takes potions. It's as simple as that. I want my mom to look at me and say that's _my daughter_. I need to know that just because I'm the girl in the family I'm not incapable of being as smart as them. I need to know that I can make the rest of them proud like they make me proud of them. I need to make them forget the mistakes of my past and bask in the accomplishments of my now. I just haven't done anything to do that yet."

"Don't be ridiculous Weasley."

"I'm not being ridiculous," she rolled her eyes. "I'm not a Prefect, which I know makes my mom cry happy tears when one of us gets. How Ron is more responsible than I am I do not know. Actually, how is he more responsible than anyone?" She shook her head. "That's an argument for another time. I haven't done exceptionally well in any classes."

"Hold on Weasley," he cut her off before she could trash talk herself into the ground. "If you concentrate on just those minor things than you're ignoring the bigger, better things."

"Like what?" she asked in disbelief that she'd really done any "bigger, better things". He was silent for a minute as he mentally gathered all the information he knew about her. The first to pop to mind, of course, was the thing they shared in common.

"You're a chaser on your house's Quidditch team. And you don't need me to tell you that you're the best chaser on that team. None of your brother's ever played Chaser have they?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," she shook her head slowly. "But that doesn't mean-"

"You're one of the ones chosen for that stupid "Slug's Club" thing, right?" he cut her off again remembering Zabini telling him about the meetings once. She nodded. "And rumor has it you didn't even have the connections like the other members. You were just good with a wand. Do you know how many people wanted to be in that club once they found out? Malfoy was desperate to be included. Of course, you know that from the fiasco back at Christmas time." He paused while he tried to think of something else to say.

"I know it's not much, but you seem pretty popular," he shrugged, not wanting to admit to such a fact but doing so for the sake of the argument. "A lot of people like you; most of the boys like you and a lot of girls would like to be like you." He was shocked to find her burst out laughing. It wasn't exactly light laughter either. He watched her for a minute before standing quickly as she started to fall out of her chair because she was laughing so hard. He caught her and sat her up right before glaring down at her. "Have you cracked Weasley?"

"No…no. I just…you said…oh Merlin!" she breathed out before continuing with the over the top laughter. He was really starting to get concerned for her. He was pretty sure she had gone mad.

"Maybe you need a break from studying," he said slowly. "And a trip to the Hospital Wing too while we're at it."

"No, no. I'm fine," she assured, finally bringing her laughter to a controllable amount. "It's just, do you realize how much you just complimented me?" He nodded. "And you haven't forgotten I'm a Gryffindor right? Or a Weasley?" He shook his head. "And you're still okay with having complimented me?"

"Of course I am," he rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have said those things if I hadn't meant them. I would have left you to suffer in your pouty "I'm not good enough" state."

"Oh Merlin, I needed a good laugh these days. Thanks Harper." He didn't respond, instead turning back to his studying. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ginny sighed and spoke up again, "I don't think I can study anymore."

"Me either," he agreed, shutting the book directly in front of him. "You've completely ruined the environment."

"I'm so _terribly_ sorry Harper," she said with false concern. "How can I _ever_ repay you?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something eventually," he smirked. He looked down at his watch and realized it was time for dinner. "I can't believe I stayed here two hours longer than I had to."

"I'm just some great company," she quipped. Neither said anything for a few moments. Harper was surprised to find he couldn't honestly disagree with her statement. Instead he just settled on getting away from her.

"My punishment is over and I'm going to dinner now," he announced, turning for the door at a rather slow pace. He wasn't sure why he didn't start running out of there to get away from her - he just knows he didn't.

"You might want to stop by the library first," she called to his back, "you left all your things there."

"They'll be there when I get back after dinner."

"Fine, let's head out then."

"Right." He yanked the door open - thankful it was actually there this time. Turning towards the nearest staircase he rushed to get to the Great Hall before dinner ended.

"So what are you going to tell your friends?" she asked coming up beside him.

"Why are you following me Weasley?" he asked barely containing his groan. He was finally getting himself away from her and here she was walking with him.

"I'm not following you. We're just both going to the same place. So what are you going to tell them?"

"About what?" he sighed, forfeiting to her company.

"Where you've been for the past four hours," she smirked.

"I'll just tell them…" he hadn't really thought about it. They would surely wonder where he'd been, especially since he left with Weasley in tow. "I guess I'll just tell them I ran in to some girl or something and was preoccupied," he smirked. His friends would believe that story; he was good with girls.

"Oh please," she laughed. "Cause you're so sought after."

"I am," he said, fully offended.

"I'm sure," she snorted.

"You're just jealous Weasley," he sneered.

"Jealous?" she laughed. "You think I'm jealous? What, pray tell, am I jealous of?"

"The many girls who have a shot with me when you clearly have none of course."

"I could have you if I wanted you," she said confidently.

"That's what you think," he answered. He regretted the statement before it was even fully out of his mouth. She was the type who would take that as a challenge. And he was not entirely sure that if she tried something with him he'd stop her. He immediately changed the subject. "What about your friends? They're going to wonder where you've been too."

"Not really, they knew I was taking off to find somewhere to study. Plus none of them would have seen me leave with you. I'm in the clear," she smiled happily.

"Great," he said as they reached the Great Hall. He absentmindedly pushed open the door to enter and, with a smirk, said, "I suppose you weren't terrible company anyway."

"I suppose I could return the compliment," she grinned. He opened his mouth to respond with some haughty statement when they heard a new voice.

"Ginny?"

They both froze and turned to look in front of them. Dean and Seamus were half way between them and the door, seemingly leaving dinner.

"Hello Dean," she smiled. "How's your day been?"

"Ginny why are you with this Slytherin?" he asked ignoring her question.

"We just happened to be walking to the Great Hall at the same time."

"So you decided to walk and talk with him?" Seamus asked skeptically.

"Well what would you rather I do? Stop walking so we were spaced out? I'd like to eat before dinner is over."

"Just…you seemed to be talking to him…nicely. You were even grinning."

"I can manage to be nice to people boys. No need to fret."

"If you say so Ginny," Dean said eyeing the Slytherin. "We'll see you in the common room later."

"So much for being in the clear," she mumbled once they were gone.

"You're telling me. My friends are not looking too pleased with me."

"Well I guess we've got some people to deal with now. Nice studying with you Harper," she said as she walked towards her curious looking friends.

"You too Weasley, you too," he whispered before taking a deep breath and heading for his own table.

"Tell me you've not been with her this whole time," demanded Atkins as soon as he was seated.

"I was," he said as off handed as he could.

"Why?" he asked disgusted.

"I believe she said it was punishment for 'dragging her out of the library'. I was locked in a room with her."

"How'd you end up locked in a room with the tramp?"

Anger rose in him at the insult, but he held it down - for now. "Curiosity."

"What's curious about filth like her?"

"I wanted to know what she could come up with. I hadn't been expecting to be locked in a room with her for two hours."

"Two hours?" Vaisey added with a raised eyebrow. "You've been with her for about four now."

"Well after that I'd been studying."

"With her though?" Vaisey pressed. "You said you've been with her this whole time."

"Fine," he sighed. "I was studying when I was locked in there with her and just lost track of the time."

"And why did you two seem friendly walking in?" Atkins asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"What is this twenty questions?"

"I'm just curious as to why you seem to be getting along with a filthy tramp like her."

"How about you stop calling her that and just drop the subject?"

"Harper please tell me you did not just defend her," Atkins asked sharply.

"I may have. Just drop it."

"How can you defend a filthy little blood traitor tramp like her and just tell me to drop it?" he snapped loudly, gaining extra attention. Harper noticed Ginny's eyes on the scene and was thankful that she was far enough away not to be able to hear. He tried to stop the inevitable argument before it evolved to shouting.

"Let's not get into this here," he replied as calm as he could manage.

"We're going to get in to this here. She's a no good blood traitor Harper!"

"You don't know her," he gritted out in her defense. "She's not bad."

"She's a filthy little tramp!"

"I told you to stop calling her that," he said getting loud, forgetting everyone that was staring in his anger. He stood now, seemingly to leave the hall, but fate had other plans.

"I'll call her what I want!" Atkins said to his back. "She's a despicable excuse for a female!"

"Knock it off Atkins!" he turned to him fiercely, his anger only rising.

"Like you can really stop me," he laughed cockily. Without the conscience thought that he was one of his closest friends, he drew his arm back and sent a punch powered by his anger at the other boy's face, effectively stopping him.

"It'll do you good to stop calling her names," he informed him threateningly before stalking out of the hall while shaking his fist out.

Whispers broke out around the room about the argument and they only double when Ginny followed him out the door minutes later.

"Harper!" she called out.

"Are you taking up following me as a hobby Weasley?" he asked annoyed.

"Were you defending me?"

"Isn't it a bit vain of you to assume everything has to do with you?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Yes I happened to be," he said reluctantly.

"Why?"

"Does that really matter?"

"I think so."

"You weren't bad company," he told her, picking up his pace to put distance between them. She was having none of that though and sped her own pace to keep up with him.

"So, I'm okay company and that makes it okay to punch your mate in the face?"

"No," he said grumpily. "You're okay company and that makes it okay to punch a git in the face."

"Honestly Harper," she shook her head. "What was that?"

"I know you heard the gist of it sweep across the hall Weasley," he sneered. "No need to make me repeat it."

"You've called me those names before and I don't seem to recall you punching yourself in the face," she continued to press for the answer she wanted to hear. She paid no mind to his feeble attempts to get rid of her. If he thought she couldn't handle a little bad attitude than he sorely underestimated her.

"That was before," he replied tensely.

"Before what?"

"Before I spent four hours locked in a room with you," he bit out.

"_Technically _you were only locked in for two."

"Like that matters right now," he huffed. He didn't understand why she couldn't just leave him alone. He was making it perfectly clear that he didn't want her there. He thought maybe if he told her what she wanted to hear she'd go and eventually admitted to what she wanted to hear. "I enjoyed spending that time studying and talking with you."

"Well quite honestly I could have assumed as much. Let's not forget you complimented me," she grinned.

"I'm glad you're enjoying my discomfort," he muttered bitterly.

"I'm glad I am too," she responded cheekily.

"Just go back to your friends Weasley. The whole school's talking about us already no doubt."

"Eh, they'll be fine with out me. I told them I had been studying with you – quite the bit of luck that our best and worst skills are opposites. I just told them you were helping me in potions and in return I was helping you with Charms."

"That's not going to stop the rumors that are going around. Just go."

"No, I don't think I will."

"Are you _trying _to torture me Weasley?"

"Well how can I be torturing you? I'm good company remember. You should be enjoying yourself."

"You think you're clever don't you?"

"Why yes," she grinned at him, "yes I do."

"Why are you doing this to me?" he groaned. He saw her blush slightly and raised an eyebrow to her.

"I happened to enjoy your company today too."

"Oh you have, have you?" he asked eager to finally turn the discomfort on her.

"So what if I had?" she asked indignantly. "Are you going to tease me and laugh at me?"

Well that was what he had planned to do, but he surely couldn't now. "Of course not Weasley. That'd just be childish."

"Wise choice," she smirked slightly. "Look Harper. You aren't getting rid of me. Let's just go knick some food from the kitchens and head outside."

"Or I could just go to my dorm."

"No," she shook her head, dismissing his idea. "You don't want to be around them. You just punched one of your dorm mates."

"Okay you've got a point," he admitted grudgingly. Trying half-heartily to come up with an idea she couldn't deny him before giving up, he sighed, "Outside it is then."

* * *

"You know the rumors will be brutal right?" he asked from his lounging position under a tree on the far end of the courtyard.

"Of course I know," she waved a hand dismissively. "On top of everything from before we've now been out here together for two additional hours. I'd be scared if there weren't rumors to be honest."

"So what now?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"About what?"

"Us? Are we…friends?" he asked, hesitating on the word. He wasn't keen on the idea of starting some grand friendship with her, but there was no longer any use denying the fact that he liked spending time with her. He'd surrendered to his fate of maybe, possibly, liking her. "Or are we just two unfortunate people who can stand each other?"

She eyed him for several seconds before giving him a little smirk. "I've always thought of myself as quite fortunate."

"Great," he rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "Now I'm stuck with you."

* * *

**A/N:**Harper is a mentioned-in-passing male Slytherin in Ginny's year. He subsituted as a chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team when another player (who happens to be Vaisey) was injured. Vaisey is another mentioned-in-passing male Slytherin in an unidentifiedyear that I chose to make as Ginny's for the convenience of this story. He's a talented chaser on the Quidditch team until being hit with a bludger and having to be temporarily replaced. Neither characters have first names mentioned and I've not bothered to create them as they fit in my writing just fine without them. I made up Atkins.

Thank you for reading. I hope it wasn't a total wreck.


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